Rail.



J. KEETON.

, RAIL.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE l, 1908.

Patented Sepi',.28,1909v /N ENT www TURNEYS W/TNSSES Luni-Ew. s. annumco.. PnoYo-Ll'mmAPI-Isn UNITED STATES FATENT OFFICE.

JAMES KEETON, OF NEVI YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO SOL B. RAINS,OF

- c BROOKLYN, NEV YORK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

RAIL.

Patented Sept. 2S, 1999.

Application filed June 1, 1908. Serial No. 436,049.

To all whom it 'may concern:

Be it' known that I, JAMns Karren, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of New York city, borough of Brooklyn, in the county of NewYork and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Rails, of which the following is a specification.

rlhe present invention relates to certain novel and useful improvementsin railway rails and in carrying out the invention it is my purpose toprovide a rail embracing the desired features of cheapness, simplicityand durability. Furthermore, it is my purpose to provide a rail, thetread surface of which is formed of sections which may be easilyconnected together and taken apart, said sections being of suchconstruction and so mounted upon and cooperating with the web carried bythe base of the rail that the tread surface under constant pounding anduse, occasioned by the passage of the cars or trains thereof, will tendto more securely engage with the web.

A further object of the invention is to obviate the use of all bolts andthe like at the rail joints.

The invention consists in the combination, construction and arrangementof parts set forth in and falling within the scope of the appendedclaims.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown my invention as embracing oneform, that is to say, showing it applied to a type of rail commonly usedin street railways, although I wish it to be understood that theinvention is not limited in its useful application to this particularpurpose or to this particular type of rail.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of asection of a rail embracing my improvements; Fig. 2 is a similar viewshowing one of the rail sections carrying a tongue adapted to engagewith a slot or groove in an adjacent rail section;

Fig. 3 is a perspective View of a portion of a rail showing the groovedend thereof adapted to receive the tongue of a section, such as shown inFig. 2; Figs. t and 5 are views in side elevation of a portion of anassembled rail, showing the location of the joints when the railsections are brought together; Fig. G is a cross sectional view taken onthe line 6 6 of Fig. i.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, 5 designates thebase of the rail adapted to be fastened to the ties by means of spikesG, or by any other suitable means, and in some instances it ispreferable to use chairs for securing the rail. EX- tending upward fromthe base 5 is the web 7 the upper edge `8 of which is tapered as clearlyseen in Fig. l, so that said edge is practically in the form of a wedge.

The tread surface of the rail is formed of sections which may berespectively indicated by the numerals 9 and 10, said tread portionsconsisting respectively of the upper portions 9a, 10a and the lowerportions 9b, 10", respectively. Depending from beneath the tread surfaceof the section 9 is a. longitudinal flange 11 grooved as at 12, for thereception of the wedged edge 8 of the web 7. It will be noted byreference to Figs. 1 and 3 that the groove 12 tapers, that is, is widestat its entrance or mouth and narrower at its termination. At one end thesection 9 is slotted or cut away as at 18, the upper tread portion ofthe rail 9a terminating substantially in the same vertical plane as theend of the flange 11, while the lower part of the tread portion 9b ofthe rail is cut to terminate short of the ends of the tread 9a andflange 11, as is shown at 14. This slotted end is adapted to receive theprojecting tongue 15 of the rail section 10, this section 10 also beingprovided with a depending lon` gitudinal flange 16 formed with aninclined slot or groove 17 similar to the groove 12 and adapted toreceive the wedge-shaped edge of the rail web 7. The tongue 15 justdescribed is formed by cutting the main tread portion 101 and thegrooved flange 1G so that the ends thereof terminate short of the end ofsaid tongue which is formed by the lower portion of the tread, the endfaces of the flange and upper tread being at substantially right anglesto the upper and lower faces of the tongue.

In practice, the web section of the rail is of course first secured tothe ties and then the sections of the tread surface are joined togetherby inserting the tongue 15 in the groove 13 and the tread sections thusjoined are then driven and secured upon the rail, as shown in Fig. 1.

It will be evident that the more the pressure is brought upon the top ofthe rail the tighter the wedging effect will be, and at the same timethe novel form of rail joint provides a smooth continuous tread surface,one which holds the sections securely locked together and obviates theuse of all cumbersome rail joints and the like, at the same timepermitting of expansion and contraction.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Pat ent is 1 1. In a rail of the character described, thecombination of a web and removable tread parts, the web having a taperedupper portion, and the removable tread sections each having alongitudinal depending flange formed with a tapered groove to set overand form a taper friction oint with the web, one of said tread sectionshaving a. portion of its tread cut away to provide a transverse recessand a projecting tread and iiange portion, and the adjacent sectionhaving a portion of its tread and its fianoe cut awa to provide aprojecting tread portion, said projecting tread portion being adapted toenter the recessin the other section whereby the meeting ends of railsare joined.

2. In a rail of the characterdescribed, the

combination of a web and removable tread sections, the web having atapered upper portion, and the removable tread sections each having alongitudinal depending fiange formed with a tapered groove to set overand form a taper friction joint with the Web, said tread sections havingupper and lower tread portions, one of said sections beingV cut awaytransversely so that the upper tread portion and flange project beyondthe lower tread portion to provide a recess, and the other tread sectionhaving its flange and upper tread portion eutaway whereby the lowertread portion projects beyond the. upper tread portion and flange, saidprojecting portion being adapted to enter the recess in the othersection whereby the meeting ends of rails are joined.

In testimony whereof l have signed my naine to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES KEETON.

lVitnesses EDWARD SroN, Son B. Rains.

